Safety release hitch



Sept 12g .1944- G. DEN BESTEN K 2,358,216

SAFETY RELEASE HITCH Filed Dec. 4, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 wh GemT en @EL uam am Sept. 12, 1944. G.DEN BESTEN SAFETY RELEASE HITCH 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec V4, 1941 Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STA-TES SAFETY nminasnffcn Gerrit non Bos'foierennirowa, o Application December 4, l, f `v 11 clanes-.- (o1. 28o-33.16) .This invention relatesto a safety release All-itcl-i i which is adapted to be secured to animplemen-t and be releasably connected to the clevi's o f a tractor whereby the implement may be drawn.

O ne of the objects of the invention is to provide a structure formed of cast parts sufficiently few in number so as to facilitate assembly therea of.

Another object of the invention .isr the provision -of a rotatable hook adapted to be connecte'dto the tractor clevis and remain in Aconf nected position under normal load conditions,

but be released from the clevis under abnormal load.

A still further object of the invention isthe provision of a freely movable or floating pin against which the tail-piece of the hook b ears under normal load to thereby hold` the hook in engaged position, but which is movable out of the p ath of Vthe-tail-piece under abnormal load to thereby break the connection betweenthe hitch and the tractor.

Still another object of the invention isthe provision vo-fva support for theoating. pin-whih-supp ort isyieldably. held in normal position but which may be moved under abnormal vload conditionsto release.the connection betweenv the hitch and tractor.- Other objects andy purposes ofthe invention willappear more fully as the description proceeds. 'Iov the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends said invention, then, consists of ythe means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. Y

The annexed drawings and following-description set forth in detail certain means for carrying out my invention, said means constituting, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings whereinlike refervarious Views:

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section through thehitchv showing various parts-thereof in elevation and showing the hook member in engaged position.

Fig. 2 isa-longitudinal vertical section through the hitch-taken ona different plane and showing the hook member in released position.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenalongthe plane f line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged vertical section taken on the plane of line 4 -4 of Fig. 1-.

' Fig. 5 is a verticalv section taken along the planeof line 5'-5 ofiFig. Land f f ence numerals refer to like parts throughout the ofiiriotysfoiriig 1`1.f Fig,A 7 isa fragmentary vertical section showingthe support moved tomanually unlatching a vertical-section taken along the plane position:

Referring -nowmore. Particular-11.' t9 -thedrawingstne-clevis of thetractoris indicated at Iv and apportion of the-implement@ which thehitch is secured is indicatedl at 2. The yhitch itself coinprises a housingfwhich-includesabas or anged p oition 3. upwardly extending spaced apart .sides 43 nd Aa.connectingweb or covering 5 at the upper side thereof.

wiitin tiiohosigasuort is located which spaced ap'artffsids whic'hiar oi'set near their-rear edges toward each otlirs'o they are closertbgetheijat'th rear than at the front. A onnecting web Tconnects the upper edges' of 19h4 sides-6 at their forward portions.

elo-5 oftiie iioi'isigana the web' 1 ortho support" provided wit1ia1iii'edooni'rigsfor the pr'pos'e. of receiving. an; upwardly extending' rod 8 having-a head 9 at. its! loweiifen'd bearingY against theunderside 0f the` Wbfll A C 'oile'd compression spring VI0 Surrolnds the rod'8 an'd has a Washer Il located atits upper end against which a nut |2 bearsr by threaddl'y engaging' the upper'end the' sppot `in place' lg'finst tlievunder side of the Housing" web 5 and' the'for'c'e which is" neces"- sary t'move thesl'lirl'lt againsttthe force of the spring will bef adjusted 'by` tightening or loosen"- iiigtne iiutilz.

`Rearwardly oftherod' thew'eb' of the housing is provided. with. a' siot or opening 13; At the forward edge of the openingv thew'eb 5 is bent downwardlyand` ifea'wardlyast i4, and ythe rear? enelY of each of thespacedapart sides tv of the support extndlup'wardly' and are curved forwaiciiyajs' at lstoitherey'bear against theroarwadiy xtendinglip |41 It wiu boei/ident from viewing Figs'. and' 2`that' the Vs'idesof the Support are'. recessed between the'j'forwar'd and rearward `eiis thereof! and' 'dn' lof' the' sides is provided 'vv'tli an extension f6" which' is b e1t` tolioiz'ontal position and extends across tlefs'pacbtween the s'ifds'Y as more clearly shown vllig`.3`.` A 1e- V'e arm. I'I @located between the spaced apart. roei e'ndoofg. the sides s', isN 'pivotany iiioiiiiiod thereoni at f8 andy will-corne againstlthefextensioni as. astop whenmoved.fC)rwadly.v By this construction it. will bve-noted thatthe snppot is pm vded: ;witl1ftw0;fulr-um si-the ,0.11 .Where the extensions J5; hQOk 0i/@whe 11p Mt- Whih iS- 10 cated; some distance. from-the.- spring urged` bolt 8 and the other the-web 1, the forward edge of which is rounded at 'la so that the support may rock more freely on that fulcrum which is located very close to said bolt 8; Movement of the lever I1 will rock the support on theV fulcrum 'Ia as shown in Fig. 7 but because this fulcrum is located very close to the spring urged bolt 8 the resistance to this movement by the spring l0 is very slight.

Substantially Vfle-shaped slots'.I9-" e'1,ocated in each of the sides 6-'=ofthsupportfandlextending between these sides is a pin 20 having its ends located in the slots which ends are of a smaller.;l

Vdiameter than the widths of the slotsso. that the pin may be freely movable longitudinally thereof."

The slots are positioned substantiallyas,shownjin Figs. 1 and 2 so that the norlflglpositionof the Din 20 will be at the juncture vof'thetwol arms'of the slot.

l is pi-votally mounted stol rotate-'about vthe pivot pin 22, and extending rearwardly from'thispivot pinythef'hoolt provided-"with a tailpiece' 423 which is vftrcuatelyfcurved at the under sideof its rear end as at'24, the radius of curvature ofv such` arcuate vrportion being substantially-whe same vas thatjo'fthe -pin204wherebythe'vl tailpiece will Vbear against: the 15in-20 Vits-normal .j;.. .y .'i'i

Itk will'be evident from' the foregoing" that when -the hook; isinengagedposition with the-clevis and a'pull is` exerted thereagainst, the tail-'piece 23 will bear downwardly against thefpinfll -under'normal loadconditions.- Whenan abnormal load is "reached whichfis sufiicientj-tol overcome the forceA` ofjthe springfllljtheirearf end-'of the .tail-piece 2 3l Ywill KLVmove downwardly`v thereby urging; thesupport toj'rotatefabout its pivotal point on the' lip "M in a; counten-'clockwisedirection.' The pin' 20, willfal'so movedownwardly vwith ,the supp'c'nrtA untilv it has been 'moved conrpletely lout ofthe p ath'yof j the tail-piece." 23 whereupon the piilling force. of the clevis moveihe hook' t its ,disengaged "Position: 'sewn n. l ...nl i: 1

'when/1t is desiredV to rerepgage the' hook with the clevisjafrea rwardimovementof` the clevis against the hook'in itspositiomasshown in Fig"2r will fmove the tailepieceupwardlyj' "like upprsurface ofV the tail-prees is' .Se shaped that it will contact vthe 'pin 20 and A'move' it "upwardly in one arm of the slot,A out of A the path` fof" movement thereof; After the 'en d of the ,tail-piece' has passed a predetermined point the pi'n20 will then drop back 'to itsnormal'position where the under side of theltailpiecelwill bear thereagainst and the various partswillfbe in a position as shofwn'in4 Fig.l 1. An arm 25 `is proviheclancl secured 'to one side ofthe housing which'exten'ds downwardly and ihas aV recess 261m its forward fedge., The purpose ofl such recess being obvi- `ously to prevent' vthe Yclevisffrom :disengagement .whenno pull isbeing. tedandjwhen there 'is a slacl; conditionw "i i .In'certain instances it'r may be necessary lto fdisj- ',engagejthe hook from.theclevisfmanually; and lien this is desired the lever' I1fmayibejgr'a'sped Vand 'I novedjforwardlytoward vthe tractor.; This 'movement is illustrat'ed'lin Figff.` In lthis movement; the'- support rocks on fthe fulcrurn 1c `and the' extensions I5 leave 'theflip |4.- Thefrockig is sufficient' to movethe roller 2 fr'om 'under the end of' the tail-'piece "2-3 'so" Ythat -it isV 'ccm-- lpletely releasedeandfpermitsfthe hookfto'v rotate rto the position shown in 2 and to release the clevis. The resistance to this rocking movement by the springV I0 is very slight because the fulcrum point 'Ia is closely adjacent the bolt 8.

`The'pin'ZILby movement of the support, will lsupport pivots about the points I4 and I5, while vduring manual disengagement the support pivots about 'the fulcrum point 1a.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be used instead of the one here describedy'change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed provided, however, At the forward end of the housing ahook 2i that the means stated by any of the following claims or-the equivalent ofsuch stated means be'employed. v Y l -f I`claim'i l -lwA 'safety' release -hitch comprising, a clevis attached'toa'tractorLa housing attached to an in lrle'rnenta hook pivotallymounted on said housing lto hook over said Vclevis'- whereby the tractor vmay pull the implement, a member hav-l' ing spacedsides locatedA within .said housing, elongated-slots in sa'id sides,- -a pin'f extending between said sides andv freelyv movabley lengthwise of sad slots ',-a tail-piece'on said hook adapted to bearA downwardly againstsaid pin when the implement is pulled undernormal load, and yieldable-means for holding said :memberand pin against movementunder normal loadQbut permitting movement thereof to free the clevis from the-hook under abnormaliload.; l. i f2. 1hecombinationof elements defined in claim -13 rvc o'mbinedwith a lever secured to said member to manually release said hook.` and clevis connection.Y W

3l Thecombination Vof elements defined in claim' 1," wherein'said vtail-piece at its upper side is'sofshape'd as'- to act-as a cam to-move saidp in out ofthe way Vwhen the hook is returned to clevis engaging positionv without moving-'- the memberon which said pin is mounted. `1

safety release hitch comprising, a clevis `attached 'to atractor, a'housing attached to an implement, a support pivotally mounted'in said housing, a hook pivotally mountedfiin said housing-*and adapted'to receive rsaid "clevis, a surf face on said support inclined withl relation to a 'line drawn between the pivot of saidsupport and thet pivot'of'said hook, a roller supported on said inclined surface, a tail-"piece on said hook adapted to ---bear against said roller vand yieldable means ftojnormally' hold said support'with said roller in engagement-with said tail-piece under fn'ormal' load but permitting movement `of said support and roller under abnormalload.

i' v5;"The elements in combination defined in "said support bothengaging saidhousing and on either of which said' support-can rock, spring fneans actingto rholdasaid' support insnormal position relative toilsaid Ihousing, .saidrspring means being located closer to one of said fulcrum points than the other and a stop on said support engaged by said tail-piece, rocking of said support on either of said fulcrums acting to move said stop away from said tail-piece.

'7. The elements in combination dened in claim 6 combined with means for manually rocking said support on the fulcrurn closest to said spring means.

8. The elements in combination defined in claim 6 in which said stop is movably mounted" on said support and is moved by gravity into position under said tail-piece when the support is in normal position.

9. The elements in combination dened in claim 6 in which said tail-piece acts to rock said support on its fulcrum farthest from the spring means under resistance of said spring means.

10. A safety release hitch comprising, a clevis attached to a tractor, a, housing attached to an implement, a hook pivotally mounted on said housing to hook over said clevis whereby the tractor may pull the implement, a support located within said housing and yieldably held in place and having spaced apart sides with elongated slots'therein, and means mounted on said support to hold said hook in engagement with said clevis under normal load, said means including a pin extending between said sides and resting at its ends in said slots and freely movable therein, said pin being movable to reengage said hook with said clevis, said support and means thereon being movable under abnormal load to disengage the hook from the clevis.

11. A safety release hitch comprising, a clevis attached to a, tractor, a housing attached to an implement, a hook pivotally mounted on said housing to hook over said clevis whereby the tractor may pull the implement, a support 1ocated within said housing and having spaced apart sides with elongated slots therein, alined openings in the top of said housing and said support, a rod extending upwardly through said opening having a head thereon at its lower end bearing against the under side of the support, a collar on said rod, a coiled compression spring between said collar and said housing to thereby yieldably hold said supportiY against movement and means on said support to hold said hook in engagement with said clevis under normal load, said means including a pin having its ends mounted in said slots and freely movable therein, said pin adapted to be moved in said slots out of the path of said Vhook for reengagement of GERRIT DEN BESTEN. 

